An understanding of what makes things interactive is key to the successful creation of websites, computer games, and software. In The Art of Interactive Design, Chris Crawford explains what interactivity is, how it works, why it's important, and how to design good software and websites that are truly interactive. Crawford's colloquial, conversational style makes it easy to grasp the fundamentals and the theoretical underpinnings of interactivity, as he discusses specific social and artistic issues.

Author Bio

Chris Crawford, a former game developer, is the author of the classic The Art of Computer Game Design (Osborne/McGraw-Hill). He is currently at work on Erasmatron, an interactive storytelling project.

Part IV: Social and Artistic IssuesChapter 25: A History of InteractivityChapter 26: Control Versus InteractivityChapter 27: The Two Cultures ProblemChapter 28: Interactive StorytellingChapter 29: SubjunctivityChapter 30: Futures

Reviews

"Crawford is a fine writer with an engaging style that never glosses
over the tough points, but never slows you down. I think you always come
away from one of his books entertained and inspired."--Dr. Dobb's Programmer's Bookshelf Newsletter

"This thoughtful author shares his views on everything from color intensity
to variables as he explains the need to make a site interactive."--Bytes.com

". . .discusses the theories and principles of interactive design in a
discursive style."--Book News

"This book integrates [Crawford's] best thinking into a unified set of rules and guidelines for effective interactive design."--Barnesandnoble.com

"Crawford's breezy, conversational style makes it easy to grasp the fundamentals and the theoretical underpinnings of interactivity, as he discusses specific social and artistic issues."--Columbus Dispatch

". . . Crawford shares his insights, techniques, and experiences for
developing software that interacts effectively with its users."--Reviews.com